Two Emory Healthcare nurses inducted as fellows into American College of Critical Care Medicine

Two Emory Healthcare nurses have been inducted as fellows into the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) for their contributions to and long-standing work in critical care medicine. Mary D. Still, MS N, APR N, AC NS, CC RN and Mary Zellinger, RN, MN, ANP-BC, CCRN-CSC, CCNS, were inducted as ACCM fellows at the Society of Critical Care Medicine annual meeting this year.

Still has been a clinical nurse specialist in the surgical/ transplant ICU at Emory University Hospital for 29 years. During her time at Emory, Still has coordinated and led a system-wide initiative on early identifiers of sepsis in critical care patients; developed and implemented evidence-based ICU protocols and procedures; and collaborated with health care teams on complex patients, including liver transplant patients, ventilator-dependent patients and severe sepsis patients.

Still received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing at Georgia State University, a post Master’s Adult Nurse Practitioner degree from Emory University and a Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification at Georgia State.

Zellinger is a clinical nurse specialist in the cardiovascular critical care unit (CV-ICU) at Emory University Hospital and a collaborative faculty member in Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Z el lin ger has worked at Emory since 1979. While at Emory, she has helped develop the cardiac transplant program, and worked closely with the educational preparation for the Ventricular Assist Device an dEC MO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) programs. She is also collaborating with other members of the critical care interdisciplinary team in assessing and addressing burnout in critical care team members.

Zellinger received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University, a Master in Nursing in adult health/critical care and a post Master’s Nurse Practitioner degree from Emory’s School of Nursing. She is on the Board of Directors of the International Society of Cardiovascular Critical Care (FACTS-CARE), and on the Scientific Program Committees for the Society of Thoracic Surgery and the American College of Chest Physicians. Both nurses have published their research in medical and nursing journals alike and have lectured at numerous conferences on the local and national levels.

WellStar Kennestone becomes one of two hospitals in the country certified in complex cardiac services

WellStar Kennestone Hospital’s cardiac program is one of only two programs in the United States to receive the Joint Commission Gold Seal Disease-Specific Certification for Heart Valve, Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG) and Congestive Heart Failure. This means WellStar patients across the state have access to the highest levels of care, close to home.

“Our unwavering focus on patient care sets WellStar apart from other health systems ,” said Barry Man gel, M. D ., chief cardiology officer at WellStar Health System.“We are able to

provide excellent cardiac care that is making an impact on the health of our community. We have highly skilled physicians and caregivers who are all working toward a singular goal— getting our patients back to their lives.”

As one of only two hospitals to receive Joint Commission Gold Seal Disease-Specific Certification for these three areas, WellStar continues to show leadership in patientcentric cardiac care through innovative treatments, technologies and approaches. An example is the CardioMEMS™ device offered to stage three heart failure patients with frequent readmissions. This implantable device measures a patient’s pulmonary artery pressure and heart rate through a sensor that is implanted in pulmonary artery. This allows physicians to wirelessly manage heart failure.

Coordinating care can be a challenge for patients, particularly those with multiple chronic illnesses. WellStar has created individualized clinics to develop care plans centered on the patient and the patient’s family, which acts as a support system. The care plans are developed by a multidisciplinary group to reduce the amount of follow-up appointments and streamline the access to multiple healthcare professionals through the Comprehensive Care Clinic and Structural Heart Clinic.

The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organizations commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

To receive this two-year certification, healthcare organizations must invite the Joint Commission teams to survey the desired programs and evaluate the clinical teams, processes and outcomes.

To see the full list of certifications and accredited hospitals, visit https://www. jointcommission.org/

Emory University Hospital surgical/ transplant ICU recognized with Beacon Award for high nursing standards

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has awarded a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence to 5E-ICU (intensive care unit) at Emory University Hospital for its outstanding work in critical care nursing and providing a supportive work place for staff. Just five other health systems within the state of Georgia currently hold Beacon Awards. The 20- bed ,5 E-I CU is Emory University Hospital’s surgical and liver transplant ICU, caring for approximately 6,500 patients annually.

The Beacon Award for Excellence is a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments. Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to other hospital ICUs on a similar journey. The award recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Standards. Those evidence-based standards include: Leadership structures and systems Appropriate staffing and staff engagement Effective communication, knowledge management, learning and development Evidence-based practice and processes Outcome measurement The silver-level award signifies continuous learning and effective systems to achieve the best patient care. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

“I am extremely proud and honored for our unit to be granted such a distinguished award,” says Stephanie Pier oni,M SN, RN, CC RN, unit director of 5E-ICU at Emory University Hospital.“Our staff works diligently every day to provide the care that is reflected in the Beacon document.”

More than 100 employees work on 5E-ICU. That staff includes: 83 registered nurses, 13 advanced practice providers, 13 patient care assistants, along with a team of specialty physicians, social workers, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, chaplains and others.

The unit reports excellent patient outcomes. The transplant population has a 95 percent graft survival rate at one year. Currently, 5E-ICU is in the top 10 percent of academic medical centers in the United States for patient satisfaction.

Three other critical care units within Emory Healthcare are current Beacon Award holders. They include the Coronary Care Unit at Emory University Hospital and both the Medical ICU (71-ICU) and Cardiothoracic Surgery ICU (11ICU) at Emory University Hospital Midtown.